Tentative Budget Proposes Tax Increase for Fire and Police Needs

As required by state law, at the May 14 City Council meeting, there is a Resolution on the agenda to establish the tentative budget for fiscal year 2024-2025 and set a public hearing date of June 4, 2024, to take public comment on the tentative budget. 

As Mayor Walker stated in his message in the Draper Forward newsletter, Draper City has the lowest tax rate in Salt Lake County and has not had a tax increase since 2007. Other taxing entities have had increases recently but Draper City has not. The City has maintained a low tax rate by being conservative in budgeting and operating with as lean staffing as possible to remain efficient.

After reviewing all options to continue to provide essential, quality services, Mayor Walker is proposing a property tax increase that would place Draper as the second lowest property tax rate among Salt Lake County cities. This increase would address critical needs, adding $1.6 million to the budget for our fire and police departments. The tax increase would amount to an additional cost of between $4.25 per month to $12.75 per month to residents, depending on home value (for values between $500,000 and $1.5 million). 

The City’s fire and police departments (including paramedics) are experiencing a strain on staffing and seeing frequent turnover due to the following factors:

• A decrease in interest in the professions, resulting in fewer applicants, while retirements and resignations have increased
• Less interest in the non-traditional work schedules in these fields
• Cities/counties competing against each other to offer better compensation/benefits
• Stress and traumatic experiences in these careers affecting mental health
• Negative portrayals and attitudes toward police

Additional positions and adjustments to fire and police salary scales are needed to maintain adequate staffing and retain qualified personnel.

The mayor and city council will discuss the tentative budget over the next month and invite all who would like to participate in public comment to attend the public hearing in the city council chambers on June 4 at 7:00 PM. If that date changes, an update will be provided. The city council is scheduled to adopt the final budget on June 18.